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(No Model.) 3 SheetsS heet 1. Gr. POPP & H.'BEGKER.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

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3 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. POPP 81; H. BECKER.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

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WITN ESSES Becket,

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,190, dated November13, 1894.

Application filed May 11, 1894. Serial No. 510,863. (110 model.)Patented in Germany July 29, 1892 No. 69,824; in fiwitzerland March 16,1898, No- 6.543; in Norway March 20,1893, No. 3,441; inEngland March 20,1893, No. 5,957;in Belgium March 21, 1898. ITO-103,981; in Italy March31,1893, XXVII, 33.816, LXVII, 192: in France June 20, 1893,110.228,817. and in Austria-Hungary August 29,'1893,No. 14,575 and No.39,099.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORG POPP and HEINRICH BECKER, subjects of theEmperor of Germany, both residing at Frankfort-onthe-Main, Germany, haveinvented new'and useful Improvements in sterilizing Apparatus, (forwhich we have obtained Letters Patent in Germany, No. 69,824, dated July29, 1892; in Austria-Hungary,No. 14,575 and No- 39,099, dated August 29,1893; in France, No. 228,817,dated June 20, 1893; in Great Britain, No.5,957, dated March 20, 1893; in Italy, No. XXVII, 33,816, LXVII, 192,dated March 31, 1893; in Belgium, No. 103,981, dated March 21, 1893; inNorway, No. 3,441, dated March 20, 1893, andin Switzerland, No. 6,543,dated March 16, 1893,) of which the following is a specification. 1

Our invention has reference to means for simultaneously closing oropening a series of bottles, jars or like receptacles from the exteriorof the heating chambers commonly used in sterilizing or pasteurizingliquids.

Ithas for its object to provide efficient mechanism whereby thereceptacles can be readily opened or closed in series from the exteriorof the heating chambers; but it refers only to mechanisms to open orclose the receptacles by turning the closure or stopper. 1

The mechanism for operating theclosures'of a series of the receptaclesconsists essentially of a series of rotary or oscillating devicesadapted to engage with the closures for the purpose of turning the same5 said devices being so connected as to be capable of being operatedsimultaneously from the exterior of the sterilizing chambers.

The nature of our said invention will best be understood when describedin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1represents a vertical section in the plane 'y--y Fig. 2, of asterilizing apparatus charged with bottles, part being broken away. Fig.2 is a horizontal section in the plane w-w Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atransverse section in the plane z-z Fig. 2. spective view of a bottleclosure.

Similar letters of reference designate corre sponding parts.

Fig. 4 is a sectional per-=' Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings,the letter A designates the sterilizing or heating chamber to whichsteam is conducted through the pipe B, while the water of condensationis led away through pipe 0. In the chamber A are located parallel railsD D adapted to support a removable rack consisting of a foraminousbottom E and a central vertical wall'F having attached spring clamps Gconstructed to embrace'and firmly hold the bottles or other receptacles.The door A through which the bottle carrying rack is introduced isclosed air tight by means of the packingN and screws P. 'The mechanismfor operating the closures of the bottles is carried by and is removablewith said frame.

The bottle closure we preferably employ is illustrated in Fig. 4, andconsists of a stopper a of rubber fitted tightly to the neck of thebottle, and having fitted into its longitudinal central bore 0 a plug bpreferably made of glass and slightly tapering. The upper end of theplug is formed with a post p. In the stopper a is formed so as to comeabove the neck of the bottle, a radial channel d which terminates in thecentral bore 0 of the stopper, and on the periphery of the plug isformed a longitudinal groove c. When the channel and groove are inconnection, the steam can enter the bottle and the air therein escape,butwhen the plug is turned from this position the bottle is closedair-tight. The construction of this stopper forms the subject matter ofan application filed by us April 11, 1893, Serial No. 469,991.

a designates the links oftwo systems of parallel movements located onopposite sides of the central wall F of the frame and provided withsockets adapted to fit the posts 19 on the plugs 17. The longitudinalbars m of the systems are pivoted to the links in the usual manner. Themovements are supported by centrally pivoting the end links it It onsuitable studs 1, secured on the end walls H of the frame. For impartingmotion to the systems the inner longitudinal bars are connected by rods3 and t with slides r 0" located at opposite ends of the frame andguided'on the longitudinal wall F. These slides are engaged by push barsK L, one of which extends through the door A, and the other through therear wall of the steam chamber.

In the example illustrated we have shown two parallel rows of bottles,and consequently two parallel movements are employed, but of course ifthe apparatus is arranged for but one row of bottles, one parallelmovement is all that is required. It is now evident that if one of thepush bars is pressed inwardly, the links 97. will cause the plugs b tobe turned in one direction, say to open the bottles, and when the secondpush bar is pressed inward the plugs are turned in the oppositedirection to close the bottles.

It is clear that motion may be imparted to the rotating or oscillatingparts of the mechanism by other means than the push bars.

The practical operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The bottlesfilled with milk or other liquid to be sterilized, and provided with theclosure described are so placed within the springlamps G (Figs. 1, 2,and 3) that the posts of the plug 1) can enter the sockets in the linksit of the closure operating mechanism, care being taken that thehorizontal channels (Z in the plugs for the admission of steam to thebottles all point in the same definite direction. The rack with the openbottles is now slid into the steam chamber and the latter closed airtight. Steam at about 102 centigrade is now admitted for a definiteperiod of time. The micro-organisms of the milk are destroyed at thistemperature after a sufficient exposure. The milk, after proper exposureto this temperature, is caused to boil up by permitting part of thesteam to escape from the chamber to reduce the pressure, whereby any airor gas which maybe contained in the milk is positively removed and avacuum is consequently obtained in the bottles after the latter areclosed and the steam therein condenses. After the milk has boiled up, afull head of steam is supplied for an instant, and, while the liquid isunder the influence of the same, the closure mechanism is operated fromthe exterior to hermetically close all the bottles simultaneously. Thespace in the bottles above the milk is now filled with steam. This steamcondensing, the ensuing vacuum as well as the tightness of the closurewill be recognized by the milk in the bottles boiling for a considerabletime after closure has been effected. In view of the vacuum created, thepressure of the air drives the plug farther into the stopper, thusaiding in obtaining a tight closure, which is especially the case whenconical plugs are employed.

\Vhen it is desired to sterilize the liquid a secondtime the bottles arepermitted to cool while closed to a certain temperature; then the racksare again placed into the steam chamber, the latter is closed, and steamis again admitted. As soon as all the air has been driven out of thesteam chamber, so that the bottles are surrounded only by gases freefrom germs, the bottles are opened by pushing in the second push bar.The process is then repeated.

In case it is not desirable to remove the bottles from the apparatus forthe purpose of cooling the same to the requisite temperature, or if thecooling is to be obtained as rapidly as possible, then, in that case,hot water (about centigrade) drawn from a suitable reservoir, isintroduced through the lateral openings Q Q (Fig. 2) in sufficientquantity to fill the chamber A to the level of the necks of the bottles.While the hot water is being drawn from the reservoir, cold water isadmitted to the reservoir and cools the water, which then enters thesteam chamher and thus gradually, but in a comparatively short time,cools the bottles therein to the desired temperature. The Water isdischarged from the tank through the orifice R, which has an area equalto or somewhat greater than that of the inlet orifices.

Instead of using water for the purpose of cooling, air may be used, andif sterilized air is employed,the bottles may be permitted to remainopen during the cooling process.

We are aware that heretofore apparatus have been constructed for thepurpose of closing the receptacles for liquid when in a closed steamfilled chamber, but in none of these were the closure mechanisms adaptedto both close and open the bottles, nor were they arranged to operateclosures of a series of bottles by the turning of a body which when inone position places the interior of the bottles into communication withthe steam space and upholds this communication with certainty, while inthe second position it breaks this communication and forms an air tightclosure permitting the formation of a vacuum above the cooled liquid,which permits the bottles to be again introduced and reopened in thesteam chamber as is often necessary. Furthermore in the apparatusheretofore used the closures were pressed upon the necks of the bottles,which is very objectionable, since the bottles break very easily whilesubjected to the heat of the steam.

We do not herein claim the method of sterilizing set forth, as we haveclaimed the same in a patent granted to us August 14:, 1894:, forprocesses of sterilizing milk, &c., and serially numbered 524,649.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Inan apparatus of thecharacter specified, the combination of a heatingchamber with means for holding a series of receptacles stationary,mechanism in operative connection with the closures of the receptaclesfor turning the same to open, or close and to maintain the receptaclesin an open or closed condition; and a suitable handleextending outsideof the chamber and arranged to engage and actuate the closure operatingmechanism in opposite directions, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of aheating chamber provided with alateral door, a removable rack forholding the receptacles, mechanism containing oscillatory members inoperative connection with the closures of the receptacles for turningthe same to open and close the receptacles, and a suitable handleextending outside of the chamber and arranged to engage and actuate theclosure operating mechanism in opposite directions, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of aheating chamber with means for holding the receptacles, a parallelmovement having links provided with means for engaging the closures ofthe receptacles, and a member passing through the wall of the chamberfor operating the parallel movement, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of aheating chamber with means for holding the receptacles, and a closuremechanism provided with oscillatory members containing sockets adaptedto receive the posts of the closures for the receptacles, substantiallyas described.

5. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of aheating chamber, a removable rack constructed to hold the receptacles, aparallel movement connected to said rack and provided with oscillatorymembers adapted to engage the closures of the receptacles, and membersprojecting into the interior of the chamber and arranged to engage theparallel movement, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a heating chamber with means for holding thereceptacles, of a closure operating mechanism consisting of two parallelbars connected by links provided with means for engaging the closures,and with a centrally pivoted end link, or links; and means for impartinga longitudinal movement to the bars, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a heating chamber, of a removable rack forholding the receptacles, a closure operating mechanism consisting of twoparallel bars connected by links provided with means for engaging theclosures and with end links adapted toeoscillate about pivots carried bythe rack, and means for imparting longitudinal movement to the bars.substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses;

GEORG POPP. HEINRICH BECKER.

Witnesses:

ALVESTO S. HOGUE, JEAN GRUND.

